1. Field
The invention is in the field of apparatus for automatically applying the air brakes of a railroad train upon accidental derailments.
2. State of the Art
Accidental derailments of railroad cars, particularly freight cars, in trains of such cars frequently occur and cause tremendous financial losses. The losses are primarily due to the fact that a derailment of one wheel truck of a car usually goes unnoticed until many yards or even miles of track are torn up and many cars of a long train have left the track and have been badly damaged. If the brakes of the train could be automatically applied upon any derailment, the train would be stopped before much real damage could occur. Derailments with tremendous financial losses continue to occur.
3. Objective
It was the principal objective in the making of the present invention to provide effective apparatus for releasing the air in the train pipe of the air brake system of a railroad train upon derailment of any wheel of any car of the train.